Category: NASCAR Cup PR

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
POCONO 400
POCONO RACEWAY
LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA
JUNE 2, 2019

BOWTIE BULLETS:
TAKING THE CHECKERED FLAG:
Chevrolet leads all MENCS manufacturers with 32 victories in the 82 races on the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway tri-oval, including a streak of six in a row from August 2102 (Jeff Gordon) to June 2015 (Martin Truex Jr.). Benny Parsons gave the Bowtie brand its first win at the racetrack in 1977; Darrel Waltrip, driving a Buick, was the pole winner. GM brands Buick, Pontiac and Oldsmobile have contributed 11 victories.

AT THE TOP, LOOKING FOR MORE:
Kurt Busch, driving the No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1, leads active drivers with 14 top-five finishes at Pocono. He and Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1, are tied for the most top-10 finishes with 20. Johnson is also the leader among active drivers with 740 laps led in 34 races at the track.

ROOKIE ROCKET:
Kyle Larson set the MENCS track qualifying record during his rookie season (2014) by posting a lap of 183.438 mph in his Chevrolet Camaro SS. The record still stands. It was Larson’s first career pole award. Larson, who will drive the No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 this weekend, was runner-up in last June’s race at the track.

TUNE-IN:
FS1 will telecast the Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway live at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, June 2. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Pocono 400 wins by current Team Chevy drivers:
  Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1, has three wins.
  Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1, has three wins.
  Chris Buescher, No. 37 Kroger Thrill of the Grill Camaro ZL1, recorded his first MENCS win in 2016 at the track.
• A Chevrolet driver has sat on the pole 33 times at the track.
• Career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with six wins and 1,040 laps led at Pocono Raceway. He’s tied for the most top-five finishes at 20.
• Chevrolet has won 39 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships.
• Team Chevy drivers have scored 781 wins and 706 poles in MENCS competition.
• Team Chevy drivers have scored 165 top-five and 350 top-10 finishes at Pocono Raceway.
• A Chevrolet has led 6,603 laps at Pocono Raceway.

Chevrolet will be pacing the field at Pocono Raceway, with a Camaro SS leading the NASCAR Xfinity Series in the Pocono 250 and a Camaro ZL1 leading the NASCAR Monster Energy Series in the Pocono 400.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 – 10th IN STANDINGS
“I love Pocono. We got a third-place finish there last year and ran really strong throughout the entire race. Pocono is very unique, and it is different from the tracks we typically go to. The Tunnel Turn is pretty challenging at times, especially since they paved it.”

“We have been running pretty well the last few weeks. We definitely didn’t start out great in the 600, but got better toward the end and was able to salvage a seventh-place finish. Greg (Ives) and the guys have worked really hard on this 88 car and it’s is showing on track. We have made up a lot of ground in the point standings and we need to continue having weeks like we have been.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 HENDRICK AUTOGUARD CAMARO ZL1 – 15th IN STANDINGS
IT SEEMS YOU HAVE MOMENTUM GOING YOUR WAY LATELY. ARE YOU A BELIEVER IN THAT STUFF AS A DRIVER?
“Definitely. I think there’s a lot of merit to momentum and confidence. As a driver and as a team, when you’re in an upward swing a lot of times bad situations don’t seem as devastating or race-ending as they usually would. I think we have a lot of momentum on our side right now. The cars have been faster, which is something everyone has been working hard to improve. That always helps the success on-track for sure. I’m really excited for what we can do in the upcoming races, especially since this is a stretch of really good racetracks for myself and the team starting at Pocono.”

“Pocono has always been a really fun track for me. It’s a really tricky track and it’ll be even trickier this year with the downforce and straightaway speeds being a little slower. I think it’s going to make it a little more similar to the Truck Series race there and that was one of my best races.”

ARE YOU A DRIVE WHO WANTS TO BE GOOD IN ONE CORNER OR SEMI-GOOD IN ALL THREE AT POCONO?
“You try to be good in all three, but Turn Three is really important though I think. The way you get through there seems like it’s been most important the last couple years. The race we were good there last year, we started in the back and finished sixth, but we were able to get through Turn Three pretty well which definitely helped I think. So, I look at that as the place you need to be the best during the race.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 – 16th IN STANDINGS
“I’m looking forward to getting to Pocono and seeing how this newer package races there. I’m guessing we’ll be doing more drafting, but like it’s been at just about every other track we’ve been to, we won’t really know until Friday what the racing will be like. Our team usually brings fast cars to Pocono, so we always have a shot to contend for a win, and I think that will be the case again this weekend. I enjoy racing there and appreciate the unique nature of the track. It’s fun to race somewhere that’s a bit different from where we usually compete.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW CAMARO ZL1 – 21st IN STANDINGS
WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON POCONO RACEWAY AND ITS UNIQUENESS?
“Pocono is definitely unique. It’s helps get drivers ready for the road courses on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule because shifting comes into play. I enjoy Pocono Raceway. It’s a high speed, high paced track. Turn Two at Pocono is always tough. You’ve got to carry some speed to set-up your entry to Turn Three, but the long straightaways are what matter. So, if you can get off the corners with the long straights you will be running well.”

EXPLAIN A BAD TURN THREE. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST YOU GOING DOWN THE FRONT STRETCH?
“Just think of it like running a mile and losing a shoe. It’s not fun when your car is not turning off that corner and you are tight and you can’t get back to the gas. Since there is no Turn Four at Pocono Raceway, Turn Three is pretty key.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 KROGER THRILL OF THE GRILL CAMARO ZL1 – 22nd IN STANDINGS
HOW DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS HAVE GIVEN YOU SOMETHING TO BUILD OFF ON GOING INTO A RACETRACK THAT YOU’VE WON AT IN THE PAST?
“For us, we really look at the last five weeks or so. We’ve had some pretty awesome runs. Bristol, we should have been top five, but had a little mishap there. Richmond, I had much better speed than I have in my career in the past. Dover was a place where we had our work cut out for us, but the last two races we have been able to pull off a finish along with the speed that we had for the weekend. It is nice to have that added confidence when you go back to Pocono; a place where we have been able to grab a trophy from. It’s a different world now; we won’t be shifting and we won’t know what to expect with the corner speed. I would imagine that the Tunnel Turn should be pretty easily wide open now, but one and three still have some big unknowns to them. We’ll go there and learn like the rest of them. Everyone is on the same page here; we’re all learning every time we go to these places for the first time what it’s going to be like with this year’s rules.”

TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CAMARO ZL1 – 23rd IN STANDINGS
“Pocono is called the tricky triangle for a reason. The three corners are tough. It takes a while to find a setup that will work in all three corners because they are all so different from each other. This will be my third year at the track with the GEICO Racing team, so I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of what our Camaro ZL1 needs. This new package will make it challenging to build off of previous notes, but I love the racetrack so I’m feeling confident. My favorite corner is Turn 3. It’s fairly flat and reminds me a lot of Loudon, which is one of our best tracks as a team. I think that we will perform well this weekend.”

Chevrolet Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships
Total (1949-2018): 39
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)

Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

Drivers Championships
Total (1949-2018): 31
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016

Event Victories
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 – (2007)

2019 STATISTICS:
Wins: 1
Poles: 7
Laps Led: 922
Top-five finishes: 15
Top-10 finishes: 43

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 780 (1949 – to date)
Poles Won to Date: 706
Laps Led to Date: 233,177
Top-Five Finishes to Date: 3,984
Top-10 Finishes to Date: 8,215

Total NASCAR Cup wins by Corporation, 1949 – To-Date

       GM: 1,114
       Chevrolet: 780
       Pontiac: 155
       Oldsmobile: 115
       Buick: 65

       Ford: 781
       Ford: 680
       Mercury: 96
       Lincoln: 4

       Chrysler: 466
       Dodge: 217
       Plymouth: 190
       Chrysler: 59

       Toyota: 130

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Pocono 400
The Place: Pocono Raceway
The Date: Sunday, June 2
The Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 12:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 400 miles (160 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 50),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 100), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 160)
2018 Race Winner: Martin Truex Jr.

NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: Pocono Green 250 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons
The Place: Pocono Raceway
The Date: Saturday, June 1
The Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 12:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 250 miles (100 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 25),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 50), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 100)

2018 Race Winner: Kyle Busch
NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series
Next Race: SpeedyCash.com 400
The Place: Texas Motor Speedway
The Date: Friday, June 7
The Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 8:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 250.5 miles (167 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 80), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 167)
2018 Race Winner: Johnny Sauter

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Martin Truex Jr. on a roll

Martin Truex Jr. is not only the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ most recent winner – earning the victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday night – he is the defending winner of this week’s race, the Pocono 400 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry collected his third win of the season last weekend and surely feels optimistic arriving at another of his best tracks. Truex won the 2015 Pocono early summer race leading a race-best 97 of the 160 laps and his victory in this race last year gives him three top-10s in his last four starts there. He’s led laps in four of the last five Pocono races. And he earned a front row start three consecutive times from 2016-2017 seasons – winning the pole in 2016 and starting on the outside of the front row both races in 2017.

Leading laps has proven to be a good indication of how strong the 2017 Cup champion’s team is at a race track. He’s led at least 100 laps in all three of his 2019 victories and in fact 434 of his season total 459 laps out front (94.5 percent) have been in his winning venues (at Richmond, Dover and Charlotte).

Truex is ranked sixth in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver championship points standings with two runner-up finishes (at Atlanta and Phoenix) in addition to his three wins.

Kyle Busch back on top

Kyle Busch reclaimed the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points lead from reigning series champion Joey Logano last weekend with his third-place finish at Charlotte. Busch has top-10 finishes in 12 of the season’s 13 races, including three victories (at Phoenix, California. and Bristol), a runner-up showing in the Daytona 500 and third place finishes at Las Vegas, Martinsville and Charlotte.

Busch has led laps in 11 of the 13 races and led 60 or more laps six times – topped by a 177-laps out front en route to his ISM Raceway win.

It may have taken Busch a little time to finally earn that first victory at the “Tricky Triangle” as Pocono is known, but he’s clearly on track now. Both his wins have come in the last three-race span. He won his first Pocono race in 2017 from the Busch Pole position.

The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry has led 239 laps in the last four Pocono races. He’s led 262 laps in the last seven races, which means 81 percent of his 325 Pocono laps led total came in that time frame.

Last year, Busch won in every series at the Pocono track – claiming his second Cup win and notching his first NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series victories as well.

Hamlin stands atop the mountain at Pocono

Denny Hamlin arrives at Pocono Raceway with fond memories and high hopes. He won his first two races at the track from the pole position in 2006 – a feat never accomplished at the storied race venue. He and Jimmie Johnson (2004) are the only active drivers to sweep a season’s races and Hamlin answered his work in 2006 with back-to-back wins in 2009-10. His four-win total is most in this weekend’s field.

The driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry could use a Pocono boost after a comparatively frustrating May. Hamlin won the Daytona 500 and answered with a trophy at Texas Motor Speedway in April. But after a fifth-place showing at Richmond in April, Hamlin has had four straight finishes outside the top-10 and is ranked seventh in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points.

Pocono may well be the panacea. Not only does he boast an overall top record there among his competitors, he has three top-10 finishes in his most recent five starts. He’s earned 16 top 10s and 10 top fives in 26 starts. And his 693 laps out front is second only to three-time race winner Jimmie Johnson (740 laps led) in this week’s field.

Hamlin has a 7.1 average starting position through 26 races – a phenomenal statistic – and an average finish of 12.6. Of drivers with more than one start at Pocono, only the late NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson has a better average starting position (4.667) but that came in only six starts compared to Hamlin’s 26.

“We had a really fast FedEx Toyota in Charlotte and it’s crazy how many cars we passed over the course of the entire race, repeatedly going from the back to the front,’’ Hamlin said. “Unfortunately, our finish doesn’t reflect how good of a car we had, but I’m proud of the speed our team brought to the race track and if we can bring that speed with us to Pocono, we will be in great position to win.’’

“Historically, the FedEx #11 has had some success and we will be entering Pocono confident that we can secure another victory.’’

Potential for Penske power at Pocono

The perennial powerhouse Team Penske team continues to wrestle with Joe Gibbs Racing for high honors this season.

Penske’s Brad Keselowski joins two JGR teammates (Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr.) with three wins through the opening 13 races of 2019. And Penske driver Joey Logano – the reigning Monster Energy Series champion – has exchanged the points lead with Busch for most of the season as well. He won at Las Vegas and has nine top-10s. And the team’s newest addition, Ryan Blaney, has held his own with the veterans even as he looks for his first win of the season. All three drivers are ranked among the top 10 in the standings.

Pocono Raceway is not necessarily a place where Penske cars have dominated and collected trophies like they have elsewhere on the schedule. But each of the Penske trio has a Pocono victory and reason to feel optimistic this weekend as the series returns for the first of two summer stops.

Logano won from the pole position in 2012 driving for the JGR team. He has six top-10 finishes since the victory, but only two in the last seven races. In 2018, the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford was ninth and 26th in the two races at Pocono.

Keselowski, who drives the No. 2 Team Penske Ford Mustang, had six consecutive top-five finishes – six of the last seven races – before last summer’s second event when he crashed in the waning laps of the race. He has three runner-up showings (2014,15,16) since his 2011 victory and his average finish is a stellar 11.7 in 18 starts.

There will always be a special place for Pocono in Blaney’s heart since he scored his first Monster Energy Series win there (in June 2017). He has five finishes of 12th or better in six starts, was sixth and 12th in the two races last year and boasts the same 11.7 average finish as his teammate Keselowski.

Kurt Busch brings confidence to Pocono

Chip Ganassi Racing veteran Kurt Busch brings a lot of confidence and a successful resume to Pocono Raceway. His three wins are second only to Denny Hamlin’s four wins among active drivers (Jimmie Johnson also has three wins).

In 35 starts at Pocono, Busch has 20 top-10 finishes, which also ties him with Johnson for most in the field. No one on this week’s grid has more previous top-five showings (14) than Busch at the track. And Busch is one of only four drivers currently ranked among the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ top-16 with multiple pole positions (two) and wins (three) at Pocono.

His 102.8 driver rating is third best in the field and second only to Hamlin among those drivers with at least 10 starts. He has top-10 finishes in four of his last six starts at the 2.5-mile Pennsylvania track.

Busch returns to Pocono this week looking for his first win of the season and first driving the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. He has eight top-10 finishes through the opening 13 races of 2019, including a runner-up showing at Bristol, Tenn. and a third place at Atlanta. He’s had top-10s in two of the last four races but is coming off a 27th-place finish in Charlotte.

Fans treated to impressive racing as 2019 season rolls on

The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season has brought some great racing action to the fans this season. It has also brought some solid statistics to back up all the stellar racing everyone has seen through the first 13 races of 2019.

For starters, green flag passes for the lead (513) are up 56% compared to last season’s first 13 events (330). Three of the 13 races this season have produced record-setting green flag passes for the lead; producing more green flag passes for the lead than ever before – Las Vegas (47), Bristol (47), and Kansas (41).

Additionally, in the year-over-year comparison, 2019 has seen significant gains in green flag passes for the lead in nine of the 13 races this season; including all five of the 1.5-mile tracks (Atlanta, Las Vegas, Texas, Kansas and Charlotte).

Plus, nine of the 13 races this season have produced more green flag passes for the lead than the five-year average (See chart below).

But that’s not all, passing is up through the field as well; total green flag passes (45,590 GFP) through the first 13 races of the season are up 30% compared to 2018 (35,069 GFP). With nine of the 13 races in 2019 seeing an increase in green flag passes compared to last season; including the Daytona 500, Talladega, Martinsville, Bristol, Dover and four of the five 1.5-mile tracks (Las Vegas, Texas, Kansas and Charlotte).

Youth can move at Pocono

Several of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series most promising members of the sport’s “youth movement” certainly “move” well at Pocono Raceway. Three drivers in this weekend’s field scored their very first Cup win at Pocono – Denny Hamlin (2006), Chris Buescher (2016) and Ryan Blaney (2017).

Fourth-year series JTG Daugherty Racing driver Buescher, 26, is still looking for his second Cup trophy. However, third-year Cup driver Blaney answered his Pocono showing with a win in the Charlotte ROVAL Playoff race last fall. The Team Penske driver, 25, has five top-12 finishes in six Pocono starts and won the Busch Pole in this spring race last year.

Erik Jones, 22, of Joe Gibbs Racing, has three top-10 finishes in four starts at Pocono, including a third place in his 2017 Cup debut on the “Tricky Triangle.” He’s led laps in three of his four Pocono races. Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott, 23, has five top-10 finishes in six races at Pocono with a best showing of fourth place in his 2016 Pocono debut.

Richard Petty Motorsports driver Bubba Wallace, 25, made his Monster Energy Series debut at the track in 2017 and scored his best showing (16th) to date in that race. He led four laps in the spring race of 2018 before his No. 43 Chevrolet retired with engine issues. He does have a pair of top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series at the track as well.

Sunoco Rookie update

JTG Daugherty Racing’s Ryan Preece continues to pace the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings by a slim eight points over Richard Childress Racing’s Daniel Hemric.

The last few races have been challenges for both. Preece, 28, has a pair of top-10 finishes on the year, highlighted by a third place showing at Talladega, Ala. four races ago. The driver of the No. 37 Chevrolet hasn’t had a top-20 since, however. His 25th-place finish at Kansas two weeks ago is best in that stretch. This will be his Cup debut at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. He finished 17th in the 2016 Xfinity Series race there – his only previous start on the track.

Hemric, 28, similarly had his best season showing at Talladega, Ala. – a fifth place and his only top-10 of the season. He also has struggled some in the past month, earning a best of 18th at Kansas in that time. The driver of the No. 8 RCR Chevrolet does have the most experience at Pocono’s Tricky Triangle, previously earning a pair of top-10 finishes in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition and another in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series.

Matt Tifft, who is ranked 31st in the points standings, is coming off the best rookie showing at last week’s Charlotte Motor Speedway. He finished 20th equaling his best result of the season (Phoenix). He has top-10 finishes in the Gander Trucks (2015) and Xfinity Series (2017) at Pocono.

Parade Laps: Insights ahead of this week’s driver media rotations

Six drivers from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Erik Jones, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, Go Fas Racing’s Corey LaJoie and Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman will be participating in this week’s media rotations at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in advance of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Pocono 400 (2 p.m., ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Chase Elliott, 23, of Dawsonville, Ga., earned his fourth consecutive top-five finish last weekend with a fourth-place effort in the season’s only 600-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Elliott scored his first win of the season on the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway four races ago and is currently tied with Kevin Harvick in third place in the points standings. This week’s Pocono (Pa.) Raceway venue brings a lot of promise for Elliott and his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team. He’s finished top-10 in five of his six career Cup starts at the track. His best showing was fourth place in his 2016 debut there in the June race, when he led 51 laps. Elliott finished 10th and seventh in the 2018 season races at Pocono.

Erik Jones, 22, of Byron, Mich., arrives at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway after an encouraging recent run in the schedule. Although he suffered a disappointing 40th place finish after an early race incident at Charlotte last week, he had back-to-back top-10 finishes in the two previous races. Pocono has historically been a good place for the Monster Energy Series’ 2017 Sunoco Rookie of the Year. He has three top-10 finishes in four Cup starts including a third place in this race in 2017. The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has led laps in three of his four Pocono starts and has an impressive 11.2 average finish at the track.

Aric Almirola, 35, of Tampa, Fla., is on track to answer his career best season in 2018 with another attempt at a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship run. He has seven top-10 finishes in the opening 13 races – including six straight top-10s between the Atlanta and Texas Motor Speedway stops in March and April. His best finish is fourth (at Phoenix) and he’s already led 99 laps – half his career-best single season total only 13 races into the year. Almirola was seventh in the first Pocono (Pa.) Raceway event last year – his best-ever showing at the track.

Ryan Blaney, 25, of High Point, N.C., returns to a special venue in his young Cup career. Blaney won his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono (Pa). Raceway in this race in 2017. He won the Busch Pole for this race in 2018 and has finished 12th or better in five of his six starts at the historic track. His average finish is an impressive 11.7. He’s won a race in each of the last two seasons, but is looking for his first trophy of 2019. His best finish is third at ISM Raceway in Phoenix in March. The driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford is ranked ninth in the points standings with four top-five runs this season.

Corey LaJoie, 27, of Concord, N.C., has notched his season’s best results in two of the last four races – an 11th-place finish at Talladega, Ala. and 12th at Charlotte last weekend. The driver of the No. 32 Go Fas Racing Ford is still looking for his first top-20 showing at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. His best finish at the track is 25th in July, 2017.

Ryan Newman, 41, of South Bend, Ind., has had a promising early season in his first year driving the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. He earned three consecutive top-10 finishes, finishing the streak with a season-best seventh place at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. He was 16th at Charlotte last weekend and looking to get back into Playoff position – he’s currently ranked 18th in the points standings. Newman has historically been strong on the 2.5-mile Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. He won the 2003 July race there from the Busch Pole position. He has 15 top-10 finishes in 34 career starts and between 2011-14 finished top-10 in seven of eight Pocono races. He finished 25th and eighth in the two races last season.

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Pocono Raceway: A ‘Tricky Triangle’ for Xfinity drivers

This week the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains for the Pocono Green 250 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, June 1, at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Pocono Raceway, with just three turns, is unlike any other track the series competes on.

This Saturday’s race marks the fourth time the series has visited Pocono Raceway. The three previous races have produced three different pole winners – Erik Jones (2016), Kyle Benjamin (2017) and Cole Custer (2018) – and three different race winners – Kyle Larson (2016), Brad Keselowski (2017) and Kyle Busch (2018). It will be interesting to see if both streaks of different pole and race winners will continue this weekend; as Cole Custer is the only one of those mentioned drivers entered in Saturday’s race, making a new winner a guarantee.

Custer is currently third in the series standings. He has made two series starts at Pocono posting one pole, one top five, two top 10s and an average finish of 6.0.

Reddick reassures his doubters he is championship material

Richard Childress Racing hit the jackpot when they signed Tyler Reddick to drive their flagship No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro this season. The Californian just picked up his second win of the year (Talladega and Charlotte) and has opened up his series standings lead to an impressive 65 points over second-place Christopher Bell.

While other drivers may have more wins, Reddick’s consistency has been unmatched. He is riding a streak of eight consecutive top-five finishes. Plus, he’s spent 14.5% of his time out front leading 306 laps this season – fourth most. In 11 starts this season he has posted two poles, two wins, three stage wins, nine top fives and 10 top 10s.

Don’t expect the momentum to slow for the 23-year old. He made his series track debut at Pocono Raceway last season, starting ninth and finishing ninth.

Pocono might be the place Austin Cindric grabs his first checkered flag

Though the sample size is small, Team Penske’s Austin Cindric put on quite the performance in his NASCAR Xfinity Series track debut last season at Pocono Raceway. The 20-year old North Carolina native leads all series championship contenders in three key pre-race loop data categories at Pocono.

Top three contenders from each loop data category:

Driver Rating – Cindric (118.9), Cole Custer (110.2) and John H. Nemechek (100.1).

Average Running Position – Cindric (5.780), Custer (6.505) and Nemechek (8.060).

Fastest Laps Run – Cindric (17), Justin Allgaier (6), Custer (5).

In his second full season of Xfinity competition, Cindric is still looking for his first career trip to Victory Lane. But Cindric should be optimistic this weekend. Keep in mind, Brad Keselowski took this No. 22 team to Victory Lane at Pocono in 2017.

Cindric is currently fourth in the series points standings, the highest ranked driver without a win this season. In 11 starts in 2019, he has posted one stage win, four top fives and nine top 10s.

In his lone start at the ‘Tricky Triangle’, Cindric started third and finished fourth.

Jeffrey Earnhardt putting up career numbers in the limelight

He’s not the first, and definitely will not be the last, but Jeffrey Earnhardt is the latest to pool his resources for a part-time run with one of the top teams in the series to showcase his true talent, and it’s working.

Earnhardt is coming off his NASCAR Xfinity Series career-best finish (third) this past weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway driving the No. 18 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing. His average finish this season is also a career-best of 11.6 and he has led a single season career-high 29 laps.

The grandson of NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt, Jeffrey has embraced the limelight and in doing so has posted one top five and three top 10s in just five starts this season.

Watch for Earnhardt this weekend, as he will be making his series track debut at Pocono Raceway in the No. 18 Toyota that Kyle Busch drove to the win in last season’s event.

Sunoco Rookie Update: Noah Gragson closes points gap on leaders

For the first time this season, JR Motorsport’s Noah Gragson won the Sunoco Rookie of the Race award this past weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway by being the highest finishing rookie (fourth) of the event. In the process, Gragson has closed the points gap on the rookie standings leader Chase Briscoe and second place John Hunter Nemechek.

Current rookie standings following Charlotte – Briscoe (369), Nemechek (-11), Gragson (-20), Justin Haley (-43) and Brandon Brown (-148).

Gragson, Haley and Brown will all be making their series track debuts at Pocono this weekend. Briscoe and Nemechek have each made one start at Pocono, both last season. Briscoe started sixth but finished 38th due to an incident. Nemechek started eighth, led four laps and finished seventh.

Monster-type presence on Saturday

Two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers, Austin Dillon and Ryan Preece, will be pulling double duty this weekend and competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, the Pocono Green 250 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, June 1 (1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Austin Dillon will be piloting the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro with crew chief Alex Yontz this weekend at Pocono Raceway. Dillon has been helping Kaulig Racing as they are bringing their second part-time team up to speed. Dillon has made two series starts with the team this season, posting one top-five finish (Las Vegas).

Ryan Preece will be back in the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro with crew chief Tyler Moyer this weekend for his third series start of 2019. Preece has posted two top 10s in his previous two starts with JRM this season.

Preece made his series track debut at Pocono in 2016 driving for JD Motorsports – he started 19 and finished 17th. This weekend’s race will be Austin Dillon’s series track debut at Pocono Raceway.

Parade Laps: Insights ahead of this week’s driver media breakouts

Four drivers from the NASCAR Xfinity Series – JR Motorsport’s Michael Annett, Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick, Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley and Motorsports Business Management’s Timmy Hill – will be participating in this week’s media rotations at Pocono Raceway leading into this Saturday’s Pocono Green 250 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, June 1 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Michael Annett (No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro)

Birthdate: June 23, 1986

Driver’s Age: 32

Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa

Hobbies: Cycling, working out, boating

Team: JR Motorsports

Crew Chief: Travis Mack

Xfinity Career Highlights:

In 2017, he made the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs and finished the season ninth in the championship standings.
In 2012, finished a career-best fifth in the series championship driver standings.
2019 Season Highlights:

Currently 10th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver championship standings, 186-points behind series standings leader Tyler Reddick.
Posted first career NASCAR Xfinity Series win in the 2019 season-opener at Daytona International Speedway, qualifying him for the Playoffs for first time since 2017.
In 11 starts this season, he has posted one pole, one win, two top fives, seven top 10s and an average finish of 10.3.
Has led the sixth-most laps this season (61).
Pocono Raceway Performance:

Has made two series starts at Pocono, posting a career-best finish of 13th in 2017.
Average start, 21.5 and average finish, 24.0

Tyler Reddick (No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro)

Birthdate: January 11, 1996

Driver’s Age: 23

Hometown: Corning, California

Hobbies: Riding ATVs, gaming, working on cars

Team: Richard Childress Racing

Crew Chief: Randall Burnett

Xfinity Career Highlights:

Won the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship
Also won the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors; just third driver in series history to win the title in his rookie season joining Chase Elliott (2014) and William Byron (2017).
In 2017, he captured his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Kentucky, while running a partial schedule. Currently has five series career wins.
2019 Season Highlights:

Current NASCAR Xfinity driver points standings leader, 65 points ahead of second place Christopher Bell.
In 11 starts this season, he has two poles, two wins (Talladega, Charlotte), nine top fives and 10 top 10s – leads the series in both top fives and top 10s this season.
Leads the series in average finishing position this season with a career-best 4.4 in 11 starts.
Pocono Raceway Performance:

Made NASCAR Xfinity Series track debut at Pocono last season starting ninth and finishing ninth.

Justin Haley (No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro)

Birthdate: April 28, 1999

Driver’s Age: 20

Hometown: Winamac, Indiana

Hobbies: Muscle car restoration, sports car racing, surfing, fishing and hunting, triathlons,

mountain biking, fitness, graphics & design, anything competitive

Team: Kaulig Racing

Crew Chief: Nick Harrison

Xfinity Career Highlights:

Signed with Kaulig Racing in the off season to run his first full season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2019.
Posted series career-best finish of fifth – last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Made NASCAR Xfinity Series career debut last season – making three starts for GMS Racing posting a best finish of 12th at Iowa Speedway.
2019 Season Highlights:

Currently 11th in the NASCAR Xfinity driver championship standings, 194-points series standings leader Tyler Reddick.
In 11 starts this season, he has one stage win, one top five, eight top 10s and an average finish of 10.0.
Currently fourth in Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, 43 points back from Chase Briscoe in the rookie standings lead.
Pocono Raceway Performance:

This weekend will be his series track debut at Pocono Raceway.

Timmy Hill (No. 66 Motorsports Business Management Toyota Supra)

Birthdate: February 25, 1993

Driver’s Age: 26

Hometown: Port Tobacco, Maryland

Hobbies: Redskins fan, spending time with family

Team: Motorsports Business Management

Crew Chief: Clinton Cram

Xfinity Career Highlights:

This season marks the fifth full season he has competed for a championship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Finished a career-best 17th in the series driver championship standings in his rookie season (2011).
Has posted three top 10s in 170 Xfinity career starts – all at Daytona International Speedway.
2019 Season Highlights:

Current 28th in the NASCAR Xfinity driver championship standings.
In 10 starts this season, he has posted three top-20 finishes.
Has an average finish of 27.5 this season.
Pocono Raceway Performance:

Has made two series starts at Pocono Raceway, posting an average finish of 34.5.

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series

Sauter chasing sixth win at Texas

He has to wait one more week to get back on the track, but when he does, Johnny Sauter will be looking to do what only one other driver has done – win six races at Texas Motor Speedway.

Sauter’s five wins at the 1.5-mile track in Fort Worth are second only to Todd Bodine’s six (Fall 2004, Fall 2005, Summer 2006, Summer 2007, Summer 2009, Summer 2010).

Two of Sauter’s wins at Texas came in this June race – including his first at the track in 2012 and his most recent as he returns as the defending race winner. He’s compiled 11 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes in 22 starts there – as well as starting on the pole four times.

Sauter is the lone multi-win driver at Texas to have piloted two different manufacturers into Victory Lane there. His first wins, a sweep of the 2012 races, came in a Toyota during his first go-round with ThorSport Racing.

His next three (Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Summer 2018) came in a Chevrolet for GMS Racing.

He now has a chance to win with a third different OEM emblem on his truck as he’s back with ThorSport Racing – but the team now competes in Fords.

Crafton yearning to win again in Lone Star State

The person who would probably least like to see Johnny Sauter reach six wins at Texas Motor Speedway next week is his ThorSport Racing teammate, Matt Crafton.

Because if Sauter is victorious at Texas, it’s one more race added on to Crafton’s current winless streak – which currently stands at a difficult-to-believe 43 races, dating back to Eldora in July of 2017.

The two-time NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck series champion (2013 and 2014) hasn’t been without his chances since then, however. He tallied seven top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in his winless 2018 season – the first for him since 2012.

So far in 2019, he is tied with Kyle Busch for top fives with five. He’s won the pole at the most recent two races on the schedule (Charlotte, Kansas) – both are 1.5-mile circuits like Texas.

And his record at Texas isn’t too shabby, either. He has a pair of wins – both in the June race…2014 and 2015 – as part of 15 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes in 37 starts. Therefore, it’s entirely probable that Crafton can find a way to guide his No. 88 Ford back to Victory Lane when the series returns to action in the SpeedyCash.com 400 on Friday, June 7 (9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

No rest for Harrison Burton

Even though the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series is on a break this weekend, that doesn’t mean all of the drivers took the time off.

The ARCA Menards Series joins the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the “Tricky Triangle” of Pocono Raceway this weekend. And with that, Gander Trucks regular Harrison Burton will be competing in the No. 20 Toyota for Venturini Motorsports on Friday evening in the General Tire #AnywhereIsPossible 200 (5:30 p.m. ET on FS2).

Burton is the defending winner of this June Pocono race for the ARCA Menards Series. He then went on to finish fourth in the July edition of the race last year. Those two races mark his only experience at the 2.5-mile venue.

Overall, he has competed in 14 ARCA races – recording three wins.

In the Gander Trucks series, he has a pair of top fives and four top 10s through the opening eight races of 2019, piloting the No. 18 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Crew chief spotlight: Scott Zipadelli looking to repeat as champion

In 2018, Scott Zipadelli led the little team that could, Hattori Racing, to the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series title with driver Brett Moffitt at the wheel.

But if he and Hattori are to repeat, they will have to do it with a new driver as this year Austin Hill is piloting the No. 16 Toyota. And they are off to a good start, winning the season opener in Daytona to lock themselves into the eight-driver Playoffs.

The win was Zipadelli’s eighth atop the pit box in his five seasons as crew chief in the Gander Trucks – and was his first with a driver other than Moffitt. The duo recorded a win with Red Horse Racing in 2016 at Michigan, the first series victory for both. And then went on to tally six wins during the championship run last year.

Now with Hill, the team has a pair of top fives and five top 10s through the opening eight races of the season. Hill’s previous efforts in the Gander Trucks netted him a single top-five and six top-10 finishes last season in his first full-time campaign.

Zipadelli has a pretty good track record in the Gander Trucks series at the next track – Texas Motor Speedway. He’s been at the helm for nine races there, producing a pair of top fives and six top 10s.

He will have a bit of work to do at Texas next weekend, as the team’s finish in March was a hit to Zipadelli’s average finish. Prior to 2019, his average finish with a driver at the 1.5-mile circuit was a 9.6. A 27th-place effort in the first visit to the track this season dropped his average to 11.6.

Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Office Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: Pocono 400
Date/Time: June 2/2:00 p.m. ET
Distance: 160 laps/400 miles
Track Length: 2.5 miles
Track Shape: Triangle
2018 Winner: Martin Truex Jr.

Express Notes:

Press Kit: Download the 2019 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Chris Gabehart and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.

Charlotte Coca-Cola 600 Recap: Denny Hamlin’s up-and-down evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday ended on the down side after he spun and wrecked on the last lap of the Coca-Cola 600. His FedEx Ground Toyota had been fast all evening, leading 21 laps and repeatedly climbing back through the field after multiple incidents set him back. Hamlin started in 20th and immediately knew he had a fast car. He finished Stage 1 in second place, and quickly took the lead after the start of Stage 2, where he stayed for 21 laps. But the remaining three stages were full of incidents that knocked Denny toward the back – multiple blown tires plus a pit road miscue where he missed his pit and had to back up. Each time, he rebounded and pushed his way back toward the front. The team had fought back from 19th place, one lap down, in the final stage to climb back into the top 10 for the final laps. But a last-lap incident sent the #11 hard into the inside wall. Denny was able to drive the heavily damaged car over the finish line to be credited with a 17th-place finish.

Pocono Preview: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will be heading to the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania for a 400-mile event at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, June 2. With four wins to his name at Pocono, Hamlin and the #11FedEx team will be seeking a fifth victory, making it the team’s third win of the 2019 Cup Series.

Hamlin Pocono Statistics:

Track: Pocono Raceway

Races: 26

Wins: 4 (2006, 2006, 2009, 2014)

Poles: 3 (2006, 2006, 2014)

Top-5: 10

Top-10: 16

Laps Led: 693

Avg. Start: 7.1

Avg. Finish 12.6

Hamlin Conversation:

Your team fought a tough race in Charlotte; what will your team need to adjust to be successful at Pocono?

“We had a really fast FedEx Toyota in Charlotte, and it’s crazy how many cars we passed over the course of the entire race, repeatedly going from the back to the front. Unfortunately, our finish doesn’t reflect how good of a car we had, but I’m proud of the speed our team brought to the racetrack, and if we can bring that speed with us to Pocono we will be in a great position to win.”

What excites you most about returning to Pocono?

“Historically, the FedEx #11 has had some success and we will be entering Pocono confident that we can secure another victory. Heading to the Pocono Mountains makes for a great racing atmosphere and I’m confident our FedEx #11 team will be up for the challenge.”

FedEx District 35 Colorado South Along for the Ride at Pocono Raceway: For the Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway, FedEx Office will recognize District 25 Colorado South for their top performance during the “Are You Aware” week campaign, where they were top performers in regards to sales related to new water-resistant media product.

Toyota Racing

This Week in Motorsports – May 27- June 2, 2019

Toyota Racing On-Track this Week

MENCS/NXS/ARCA: Pocono Raceway (Long Pond, Pennsylvania) – May 31 – June 2
NHRA: Route 66 Raceway (Joliet, Illinois) – June 1 – 2
NKNPSE: Memphis International Raceway (Memphis, Tennessee) – June 1
NASCAR National Series – MENCS | NXS

Pocono Hot Streak… Toyota drivers have captured wins in the last three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) events held at Pocono Raceway with Kyle Busch victorious in July 2017 and July 2018 and Martin Truex Jr. the defending race winner in last year’s June event. Denny Hamlin is the winningest active driver at the Pennsylvania track with four victories. His most recent wins were in a Toyota in 2009 and 2010. In total, Camry drivers have tallied seven MENCS victories at the Tricky Triangle with former Toyota drivers Matt Kenseth (2015) and Joey Logano (2012) also collecting wins.

Toyota Rolling Through 2019… A Camry has visited victory lane in eight of 13 MENCS races this season, including the most recent race winner, Truex. Hamlin has notched two wins (Daytona International Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway) while Busch (ISM Raceway, Auto Club Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway) and Truex (Richmond Raceway, Dover International Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway) both have three victories. Additionally, across all three NASCAR national series, Toyota drivers have captured 20 of 32 race wins or 63% of the events run in 2019.

Pennsylvania Dreamin’… The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will compete in its third race at Pocono Raceway since the series debuted at the track in 2016. Busch is the most recent race winner after capturing the win last season in his second series start at the track. Christopher Bell and Brandon Jones have NXS experience at the 2.5-mile track while Jeffrey Earnhardt will make his series debut there.

NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car

Route 66 Site of History-Making Win… Former Kalitta Motorsports driver Jeff Arend made history at Route 66 in 2012 when he became the first driver to win in the TRD-designed Toyota Camry Funny Car. Beginning with Arend’s triumph, Camry drivers have since registered 29 wins and two Funny Car world championships.

Brown, Kalitta Winningest Active Drivers in Chicago… No active Top Fuel drivers have won at Route 66 Raceway more than Toyota drivers Antron Brown and Doug Kalitta with three victories a piece. Brown won at the track in 2012, 2014 and 2016, while Kalitta took top honors in 2002, 2004 and 2006.

Brown Closing in on First 2019 Win… With a pair of runner-up finishes in the last four races, Brown is closing in on his 51st career Top Fuel win, which would put him just one win behind Joe Amato for the third most all-time wins. The three-time world champion has won at least one race in each of his 11 full seasons in Top Fuel.

Todd Continues Hot Streak… After winning the 2018 Funny Car world championship, J.R. Todd has shown no signs of letting up this season. The Camry driver has advanced to nine final rounds in the last 15 races, including the series’ most recent race in Virginia.

Regional Stock Car Racing – ARCA | NKNPSE

Taming the Tricky Triangle… Toyota drivers have won three of the last four ARCA Menards Series events at Pocono Raceway. Former Camry driver Zane Smith (July 2018) tallied one win while Toyota drivers Riley Herbst (June 2017) and Harrison Burton (June 2018) also captured victories at the 2.5-mile track. This year, Michael Self and Christian Eckes return to Pocono for their second and third starts, respectively, while Hailie Deegan will make her track debut in her second-career ARCA start.

Heading East… Bill McAnally Racing (BMR) heads east for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKNPSE) event at Memphis International Raceway. Two-time K&N Pro Series West champion Todd Gilliland returns to BMR this race, joining team regulars Derek Kraus and Brittney Zamora. Since the NKNPSE started racing at Memphis in 2017, Toyota drivers have gone undefeated at the 0.75-mile track. Harrison Burton collected the first win in 2017 while Ruben Garcia Jr. was last year’s winner.

Midget Racing – USAC | POWRi

The Lull Before the Storm… Both national midget car series are off this weekend before beginning the most intense run of the season with 11 races in 13 days starting on Tuesday, June 4. USAC’s Indiana Midget Week will kick things off with six races in six nights before POWRi takes the stage with its five-race Illinois Midget Week beginning on June 12. Leading the way for Toyota are Kevin Thomas Jr., who is currently second in USAC competition, and Logan Seavey, who sits on top of the POWRi standings.

POCONO RACEWAY (2.5-MILE TRIANGLE)
LOCATION: LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 14 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 2 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, JUNE 2 (FS1/MRN/SIRIUSXM)

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Chase Elliott
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 23 Resides Dawsonville, Georgia

2019 Season
3rd in standings
13 starts
1 win
2 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
400 laps led

Career
126 starts
4 wins
6 pole positions
38 top-five finishes
65 top-10 finishes
1,643 laps led

Track Career
6 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
5 top-10 finishes
65 laps led

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Friday, May 31, at 3:15 p.m. local time in the media center at Pocono Raceway.

SO FAR IN 2019: Halfway through the regular season, Chase Elliott has led a total of 400 laps – leading in seven of the eight races after going the first five races of the season without leading a single lap and currently the fourth most laps led by a driver this season. He has started from the pole position in two of the last six races (Bristol, Dover). In the first 13 races of the season, Elliott has collected five top-five finishes, six top-10s and averages a starting position of 12.4 and finishing position of 9.6. Last weekend’s fourth-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway moved him to third in the driver point standings.

KEEP THE STREAK ALIVE: The driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has collected four straight top-five finishes (Talladega – first; Dover – fifth; Kansas – fourth; Charlotte – fourth). It marks the longest top-five streak of the 23-year-old driver’s NASCAR Cup Series career. His longest previous streak was two races in August 2018 (Bristol – Darlington).

CHARLOTTE RECAP: Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS team ran a strong race on NASCAR’s longest night, earning a top-five finish in each stage and a fourth-place finishing result. The race was Elliott’s fourth consecutive top-five effort and moved the No. 9 NAPA driver to third in the NASCAR Cup Series standings.

POCONO STATS: Elliott is set to make his seventh start at Pocono Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend. He is currently on a streak of four top-10 finishes at the “Tricky Triangle”, second longest streak by track behind only Michigan (six-race streak). In his first six starts at the Pennsylvania track, the 23-year-old driver has collected one top-five finish and five top-10s. Elliott averages a starting position of 12.7 and a finishing position of 12.0. During his rookie start at Pocono in June 2016, he led 51 laps en route to a fourth-place finish, his best finish at the venue.

NO STRANGER TO POCONO: Besides his six starts in the Cup Series at the track, last season, Elliott made his Pocono NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in the No. 23 Chevrolet, starting 10th and collecting a runner-up finish in the 100-lap event. He has also made two ARCA Series starts at the Pocono. In his first visit to the track in June 2013, Elliott started 32nd and went on to lead 21 laps before collecting his first ARCA win.

ENGINE, ENGINE, NO. 9: This weekend, Elliott could become the third driver to win with the No. 9 car number. The No. 9 car number currently ranks fourth for the most wins at Pocono Raceway with six victories. His dad, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, garnered five of those wins and Kasey Kahne collected the most recent win with the No. 9 in June 2008.

GUSTAFSON AT THE TRICKY TRIANGLE: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 29th Pocono race from atop the pit box at the 2.5-mile triangle this weekend. In his previous 28 starts with five different drivers (Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Casey Mears and Kyle Busch), Gustafson has collected two wins – with Gordon in June 2011 and August 2012 – and garnered six top-five finishes and 16 top-10s.

HOME SWEET HOME: As the Cup Series heads to Pocono, there are four members of the No. 9 team that call the Keystone State home – car chief Josh Kirk (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania), engineer Matt Barndt (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania), primary truck driver Dave Ott (St. Marys, Pennsylvania) and co-truck driver Heath Edler (Williamsport, Pennsylvania).

BEHIND THE BRAVES: Last week, Elliott, an avid Atlanta Braves fan, joined MLB.com’s Ricky Mast and former Braves World Series champion and current director of alumni relations Greg McMichael on “Behind the Braves”, the official Atlanta Braves podcast to talk racing and baseball. Click here to listen to the full episode. They also chatted about the upcoming NAPA AUTO PARTS night (Wednesday, May 29) where the first 15,000 fans through the gate will receive a Braves/NAPA cap designed by Elliott.

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William Byron
No. 24 Hendrick Autoguard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver William Byron Hometown Charlotte, North Carolina
Age 21 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2019 Season
15th in standings
13 starts
0 wins
2 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
3 top-10 finishes
123 laps led

Career
49 starts
0 wins
2 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
184 laps led

Track Career
2 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
10 laps led

600 IN THE REARVIEW: Charlotte-native William Byron captured his second NASCAR Cup Series pole last week at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and followed it up with a solid run in the illustrious 600-mile Memorial Day weekend event. Leading the initial 23 laps of the race, Byron maintained a top-five running order well into the 400-lap race. As the race transitioned into night, the handling of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 began to get aggressively tighter but Byron was able to fight on and secure a track-best finish of ninth – his third top-10 finish of the season.

WHAT SOPHOMORE SLUMP?: With one-third of the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season officially complete, Byron has been making major strides during his sophomore season at the highest level of NASCAR competition. After collecting his second Cup Series pole award this past weekend at his hometown track, Byron has shown a steady increase through the 13-race stretch of 2019. Compared to the same point last season, Byron has improved his average starting position from 19.5 in 2018 to 11.5 including two Cup Series poles. He has also improved his average finishing position from 20.8 to 16.0 and increased his laps led count from 31 (61 total laps in all of 2018) to 123 so far this season. The sophomore driver also has completed 99.7 percent of all possible laps run, with only one DNF (season opener at Daytona). Additionally, Byron has scored three top-10 finishes, compared to one top-10 finish at this point last season and four total top-10 finishes all season. Byron’s improvements in 2019 have correlated in the Cup Series’ driver point standings as well where the driver of the No. 24 is now sitting 15th within the cutoff point for the NASCAR Playoffs.

HENDRICK AUTOGUARD RETURNS: The colors of Hendrick Autoguard will return to Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet for this weekend’s race at Pocono Raceway. Hendrick Autoguard is a premier vehicle protection program available at Hendrick Automotive Group dealerships, which includes additional individualized maintenance products like tire and wheel protection, paintless dent repair, oil change program, mechanical repair service contract, flexible maintenance, and others. The program affords customers numerous options to get the maximum value from their vehicle with the highest level of service in the industry. All Autoguard vehicle protection programs are available as single products or value-packaged for additional savings. For more, visit the Hendrick Autoguard website.

PREVIEWING POCONO: Byron heads to Pocono Raceway for the sixth time in his racing career – a track that has been good to him across many different series. Making his debut at the “Tricky Triangle” in 2016, Byron first competed at the track in June in the ARCA Series race, where he qualified third and left with a solid top-10 finish. The experience proved valuable, as he won the pole in his first Truck Series start at the track and dominated by leading 44 out of 60 laps before capturing the win. After that, Byron also collected a solid top-15 finish in his lone Xfinity Series start before moving up to the Cup Series full time. With two Cup Series starts last season at Pocono, Byron had solid days in both races, but ultimately collected his Cup Series-best finish of sixth in the July race after leading 10 laps.

LUCK IN NUMBERS: The No. 24 has been no stranger to success at Pocono Raceway in the past. Four-time champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon earned six wins at the Long Pond, Pennsylvania, track – the most of any Cup Series driver – while driving the No. 24 Chevrolet. With those six wins by Gordon, the No. 24 is tied for the third-most wins by a car number at the “Tricky Triangle.” If Byron can pick up the win this weekend, he would be the second driver to win at Pocono in the No. 24 as well as become the fifth driver to collect their first Cup Series win at Pocono Raceway.

KNAUS KNOWS: Heading to the “Tricky Triangle” for the 36th time in his Cup career as a crew chief, Chad Knaus leads active Hendrick Motorsports crew chiefs in best finishes at Pocono Raceway. With three wins at the 2.5-mile triangular track, Knaus swept both races in 2004 and then captured the win again from the pole in the spring of 2013.

MEET BYRON: Byron fans will have multiple opportunities to meet the driver of the No. 24 this weekend at Pocono Raceway. On Friday, Byron will make a surprise appearance at the track. Fans interested should follow the driver’s Twitter account for details. On Sunday, Byron will stop by Pocono Raceway’s “Tricky Triangle Club” in the Chalet Village at 11 a.m. local time for a question-and-answer session. Tickets to Byron’s Q&A and access to the “Tricky Triangle Club are available here.

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Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 43 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2019 Season
14th in standings
13 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
1 top-five finish
6 top-10 finishes
68 laps led

Career
628 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
225 top-five finishes
358 top-10 finishes
18,771 laps led

Track Career
34 starts
3 wins
3 pole positions
11 top-five finishes
20 top-10 finishes
740 laps led

CHARLOTTE REWIND: Last weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jimmie Johnson, and the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team scored their sixth top-10 of the season when they started 15th and finished the 600-mile event in eighth. Johnson and the team fought handling issues and the No. 48 driver tagged the wall with less than 10 laps to go in the race while closing in on the top five. The damage proved to be minimal as Johnson was able to hold on for a solid finish to claim his 22nd top-10 finish at the track.

ONE YEAR AGO: Last season, this race marked Johnson’s 600th NASCAR Cup Series start. After starting 15th, Johnson finished eighth – leading two laps with an average running position of 9.48 throughout the 400-mile event. Johnson also boasts three wins, 11 top-five finishes and 20 top-10s at the Pennsylvania track.

LAST WIN AT POCONO: The El Cajon, California, native’s last win at the “Tricky Triangle” was June 9, 2013, when Johnson dominated the 400-mile event by leading 128 of 160 laps.

ON THIS DATE: Historically, in the last four races won on June 2, Johnson has claimed one of those victories. In 2002, the driver of the No. 48 machine won the race at Dover International Speedway after starting 10th and leading 188 laps. Johnson claims three of Hendrick Motorsports organization’s 17 wins at Pocono.

STARTING STRONG: The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevy has a history of starting inside the top 10 at the Pennsylvania track. In his 34 starts he has taken the green flag inside the top 10 a total of 19 times, making his average starting position 11.1 at the track. With his top-10 starts, eight of them are on the front row.

MEENDERING EXPERIENCE AT POCONO: Crew chief Kevin Meendering will be making his first Cup Series start at Pocono this weekend, but the Grand Rapids, Michigan, native finished in the top 10 in all three Xfinity Series starts at with JR Motorsports at the “Tricky Triangle”. Meendering was also the lead engineer of the No. 88 machine for the Dale Earnhardt, Jr. “sweep” of both Pocono races in 2014, with former crew chief Steve Letarte.

ICYMI JJxALO CAR SWAP DROP: Jimmie Johnson Racing released several “JJxALO Car Swap in Bahrain” videos on Johnson’s YouTube channel last week. The series of videos can be seen here.

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Alex Bowman
No. 88 Axalta-Starr Manufacturing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 26 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2019 Season
10th in standings
13 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
3 top-five finishes
4 top-10 finishes
94 laps led

Career
130 starts
0 wins
2 pole positions
6 top-five finishes
18 top-10 finishes
368 laps led

Track Career
6 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
1 top-10 finish
0 laps led

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Friday, May 31, at 12 p.m. local time in the media center at Pocono Raceway.

BEST 600 FINISH: Bowman crossed the line seventh in Sunday night’s 600-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 26-year-old driver rolled off the grid in 13th for the 400-lap race. The No. 88 Chevrolet finished Stage 1 in 14th and when Stage 2 concluded, he was scored in second. Bowman reported that his car was too tight and had no front grip. At the end of Stage 3, he was running sixth and earned valuable stage points. Following the pit stop at the end of the third stage, the driver of No. 88 machine experienced a small vibration and came to pit road on Lap 353 with a flat right-rear tire. The Arizona native restarted 18th on Lap 365. By the conclusion of the event, he came across the line seventh which is his best-career finish in the 600-mile race. Bowman and the No. 88 team are now 10th in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings, just 155 markers behind the leader.

AXALTA ON BOARD: This weekend marks the fifth of 12 events in which the Axalta colors will adorn the No. 88 Chevy. Axalta will be on the No. 88 machine again at Sonoma and Chicagoland. Last year, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Axalta signed a four-year contract extension that will take the partnership through 2022. The leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings unveiled a new Axalta Racing website last year that includes plenty of behind-the-scenes content, photos, and videos. Check out Bowman’s page here.

BOWMAN AT THE TRICKY TRIANGLE: On Sunday, Bowman will make his seventh start at Pocono Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series. The 26-year-old has completed 99.2 percent of laps within his six events that he has competed in at the Pennsylvania track. The driver’s track-best finish of third came in his last appearance when he started 10th for the 164-lap event. Back in 2016, Bowman made one start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the track, starting and finishing 10th in the spring event. The Arizona native also has two starts in the ARCA Series at the track back in 2012, where he finished third in both events.

LOOKING FOR A WIN: Three drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have finished second in 2019 but have yet to claim a victory. Bowman has finished second three times since Talladega in April. The No. 88 machine has led 94 laps in the last four events.

EYES ON THE POINTS: In the last four races, Bowman and the No. 88 team have had a 91-point swing in the point standings. The driver was scored in the 21st position in the standings following Richmond, 15th after Talladega, 13th after Dover, 12th after Kansas and 10th following last weekend’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Bowman is now 64 points above the playoff cut line.

IVES AT POCONO: This weekend marks the ninth time that crew chief Greg Ives will call the shots for the No. 88 team at Pocono Raceway. The crew chief’s resume includes three top-five finishes at the 2.5-mile track since 2015. Ives’ best finish at the track came back in 2016 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second. Last year at the Pennsylvania track, Ives led Bowman to his best finish of the 2018 season, taking the checkered flag in third at the July race. Before moving to the No. 88 team, the Michigan native was a race engineer for the No. 48 team between 2006 and 2012. During that time, the team captured 11 top-10 finishes and one pole award at the track.

ALL IN THE NUMBER: The No. 88 car is second on the list of most Pocono wins by car number. There have been seven times that the driver of the No. 88 machine claimed the victory at the 2.5-mile track. Earnhardt Jr., Dale Jarrett, and Bobby Allison have all won twice in the No. 88 car and Darrell Waltrip won once behind the wheel of the No. 88 machine.

HOMETOWN TRACK: Jason Seitzinger, shock engineer for the No. 88 team, grew up in Shartlesville, Pennsylvania which is located about 70-miles from Pocono Raceway. Seitzinger’s first job was at Penske Racing Shocks in Reading, Pa where he worked inside the parts room. This was ultimately how he got the nickname “Penske.” Seitzinger has been with Hendrick Motorsports for 17 years.

MEET BOWMAN: Fans can meet Bowman this weekend at Pocono Raceway. On Saturday and Sunday, fans can find the driver at the Fan Stage in the Fan Midway at 9:45 a.m. local time.

PITCH TO WIN BIG: Small Business Week ran from May 5-11 and recognized small businesses everywhere. Nationwide and BlueVine are teaming up to give away up to $100,000 to one small business to help it grow. From now until June 30, small-business owners can visit www.pitchtowinbig.com to enter for a chance to win funds to achieve their business goals. Nationwide and BlueVine will select the contest finalists, who will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Nationwide’s headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, to pitch business leaders during a live “Pitch to Win” event. The winning pitch will win the $100,000 prize, with second place receiving $20,000 and third place taking home $10,000.

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Hendrick Motorsports

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS GAMING CLUB: The eNASCAR Heat Pro League season officially kicked off at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where Hendrick Motorsports Gaming Club drivers Sam Morris and Nick Jobes competed in the first ever eNASCAR race. This week the pair will compete in the second race of the season at Auto Club Speedway. All the action will be streamed live on NASCAR’s Facebook page, eNASCAR.com and 704Games’ Twitch channel.

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT POCONO: The organization leads all teams with 17 wins at Pocono Raceway, with the four most recent coming as season sweeps in 2013 (Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne) and 2014 (Dale Earnhardt Jr.). In addition, the organization also owns the most in each of the following categories at Pocono: pole positions (12), top-five finishes (68), top-10 finishes (123) and laps led (3,250).

POCONO PROWESS: Hendrick Motorsports’ 17 NASCAR Cup Series victories at Pocono have been won by seven different drivers, a stat which is tied for the most different winners at a track by a team. The organization’s Pocono wins have come via Jeff Gordon (six), Johnson (three), Tim Richmond (three), Earnhardt (two), Geoff Bodine, Terry Labonte and Kahne.

POWER OF THE POLE: Hendrick Motorsports leads organizations in poles for the 2019 season. Last weekend marked the sixth time in organization history where five or more poles in the first 13 races of the season were claimed by Hendrick Motorsports. The record for most poles captured in one season by the organization is 16 in 1986 where there were six pole victories in the first 13 races.

TRICKY TRIANGLE STREAKS: The record for the most consecutive wins at Pocono Raceway is claimed by Hendrick Motorsports. The organization holds a five-race win streak that began with Gordon’s August 2012 victory and ended with Earnhardt’s August 2014 win. The first four of those five straight races were won by four different Hendrick Motorsports drivers, a feat that has been accomplished on just one other occasion by Carl Keikhafer Racing at Martinsville Speedway from 1955-1956.

FEELING HOT, HOT, HOT: Over the last four races, the organization has claimed the top spot in many areas. The team stands as a leader in the most poles (two), second-place finishes (three), top-five finishes (seven), top-ten finishes (12), laps led (416), and a best average finish of 9.1.

FOR THE FIRST TIME: Two Hendrick Motorsports drivers are on the brink of their first-ever Cup Series victory. William Byron and Alex Bowman could become the organization’s eighth different driver to win at Pocono. Both teammates are currently ranked inside the top 15 in NASCAR rankings, so far this season they have a combined total of 217 laps led and seven top-10 finishes.

ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 12 championships, 253 race victories, 220 pole positions, 1,054 top-five finishes and 1,806 top-10 finishes in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Its teams have led more than 68,400 laps since 1984.

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QUOTABLE /
Chase Elliott on Pocono:
“I’ve really liked racing at Pocono. It’s pretty unique place that we go to and it’s been a lot of fun to race in the past. It’s usually a challenge, but I like a challenge so that may be why I enjoy it so much. Looking forward to this weekend and seeing how the new package will handle at the track.”

Elliott on designing the Braves NAPA Night Hat:
“I came by the stadium one day, a handful of months ago, and we started talking about ideas. If you have ever seen any Braves hat ever, that anyone has ever wore, it was on the table that day. Everything you could possible think of. I had plenty of ideas to pick through and basically I kind of just married up a couple of ideas that I liked and obviously I tried to incorporate the NAPA colors as well. They (NAPA AUTO PARTS) are obviously, ironically enough a partner of mine as well – in a big way. They’ve been really good to me and they are also an Atlanta-based company at that. They are a really great fit for both (Elliott and Braves). It’s great to have their names on the hat with the Braves and it turned out good. I appreciate everybody letting me be a part of the hat.”

William Byron on believing there is momentum for the No. 24 team:
“Definitely. I think there’s a lot of merit to momentum and confidence. As a driver and as a team, when you’re in an upward swing a lot of times bad situations don’t seem as devastating or race-ending as they usually would. I think we have a lot of momentum on our side right now. The cars have been faster which is something everyone has been working hard to improve. That always helps the success on-track for sure. I’m really excited for what we can do in the upcoming races especially since this is a stretch of really good racetracks for myself and the team starting at Pocono.

Byron on Pocono:
“Pocono has always been a really fun track for me. It’s a really tricky track and it’ll be even trickier this year with the downforce and straightaway speeds being a little slower. I think it’s going to make it a little more similar to the Truck Series race there and that was one of my best races.”

Byron on navigating turns of the “Tricky Triangle”:
“You try to be good in all three but Turn Three is really important though I think. The way you get through there seems like it’s been most important the last couple years. The race we were good there last year, we started in the back and finished sixth, but we were able to get through Turn Three pretty well which definitely helped I think. So, I look at that as the place you need to be the best during the race.”

Jimmie Johnson on Charlotte:
“I’m really proud of our solid outing last week in Charlotte. It was good for us on so many levels. This week, I have some production things to do and then head to Pocono. We’ve had a tough few races at Pocono as of late and some pretty gnarly crashes, but I like going there, the track is so technical and challenging and I like the area. Overall, things are moving in a positive direction. We just need more.”

Alex Bowman on Pocono:
“I love Pocono. We got a third-place finish there last year and ran really strong throughout the entire race. Pocono is very unique, and it is different from the tracks we typically go to. The Tunnel Turn is pretty challenging at times, especially since they paved it.”

Bowman on No. 88 team momentum:
“We have been running pretty well the last few weeks. We definitely didn’t start out great in the 600 but got better toward the end and was able to salvage a seventh-place finish. Greg (Ives) and the guys have worked really hard on this 88 car and its is showing on track. We have made up a lot of ground in the point standings and we need to continue having weeks like we have been.”

This weekend’s Pocono 400 on the Tricky Triangle at Pocono Raceway promises to be a little trickier than usual, according to Paul Menard, driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang.

Menard said the new lower horsepower/higher downforce package, plus a change in transmission rules, will make for an interesting race on the unique 2 ½ mile track that features long straightaways and three distinctly different turns.

“There will be big drafts on the straightaways and not as much braking as before,” Menard said. “And with the new transmission rules, you’ll be wanting to shift but with the third gear we’re now required to use it would probably just blow the engine.”

Menard said that with the components of the new package, it’ll be important for drivers to keep their momentum up, especially since they won’t be able to downshift off Turns One and Three.

“I’m not sure how it will all work out,” he said. “We’ll see.”

Menard will be making his 25th career Cup start at Pocono, where he has five finishes of 11th or better, the most recent coming last June.

His Wood Brothers team will be making its 64th Pocono start. The team has three wins there. Their victories came in 1975 with David Pearson driving, in 1980 with Neil Bonnett at the wheel and in 2017, with Ryan Blaney taking the win over Kevin Harvick.

Qualifying for the Pocono 400 is scheduled for Saturday at 11:35 a.m., and the race is set to start just after 2 p.m. on Sunday with TV coverage on Fox Sports One.

About Motorcraft

Motorcraft® offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under-hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers are backed by Ford Motor Company’s two-year, unlimited-miles Service Parts Limited Warranty. Ask for Motorcraft by name when you visit your local auto parts store or your favorite service facility. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers

Ford’s Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers routine vehicle maintenance such as oil and filter changes, light repair services including brake repair, and tire replacements on all vehicle makes and models. With more than 800 locations and growing, customers can visit www.quicklane.com to find a center that is closest to them, print savings coupons and review maintenance tips to keep their vehicles running at peak efficiency. This site includes information on how to spot tire wear, how to jump-start a battery and even a series of tips to improve a vehicle’s fuel economy.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Paul Menard in the famous No. 21 racer.

Michael McDowell on Pocono
13 Starts
Best Finish: 16th

Richard Childress Racing at Pocono Raceway … In 161 starts at Pocono Raceway, RCR team owner Richard Childress has two wins, both with Dale Earnhardt, who won on July 19, 1987 and July 18, 1993. Additionally, RCR has earned one pole award, 16 top-five and 55 top-10 finishes with 610 laps led at the uniquely-shaped three-turn track. Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, contributed two of those top-10 finishes under the RCR banner.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,947 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 50 pole awards,108 wins, 489 top-five finishes and 1,071 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.7 and an average finishing position of 16.2. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90, ’91, ’93 and ’94, six NASCAR Xfinity Series titles, two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series titles and one ARCA Menards Series title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series.

#RCR50 … Richard Childress Racing celebrates it’s 50th Anniversary in 2019. Follow our social channels season-long to join in the celebration.

Interactive RCR … For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR’s corporate Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team Twitter page – @RCRCup, and driver Twitter pages @austindillon3, @TylerReddick and @DanielHemric. Information about the 15-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing and at www.RCRracing.com along with official driver pages – http://www.facebook.com/austindillon3 and www.facebook.com/DanielHemric.

Catch the Action … The Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway will be televised live Sunday, June 2 beginning at 2 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
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This Week’s Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Pocono Raceway … Dillon has made 10 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Pocono Raceway, earning his best finish of 12th in June 2018. He has three NASCAR Truck Series starts at the triangle-shaped track, including a win in 2014. In addition to racing the No. 3 Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Dillon plans to compete in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the track for Kaulig Racing, marking his first Xfinity Series start at the track.

Dow brings a science and engineering crew who is driven by limitless curiosity to the RCR Team … Austin Dillon and the RCR team are again supported by Dow’s materials science expertise and technologies this season. Backed by the power of data analysis and virtual modeling, Dow develops and manufactures high-performance components and materials custom-made for the No. 3 car. Dow and RCR’s partnership has expedited innovation and shortened testing time in the automotive industry by recreating in the lab one of the most extreme environments – the racetrack. After 5 years of collaboration, Dow scientists and RCR engineers are continuing to work together to make the No. 3 car faster, safer and more precise. Stay up to date with Dow’s exciting developments at www.dow.com/sports and follow us on Twitter @DowRacing, @DowSports & @DowChemical

Cheering for Dillon … If you’re at Pocono Raceway, come shop Austin Dillon merchandise available track-side by visiting the RCR merchandise trailer in the fan midway.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What is your take on Pocono Raceway and its uniqueness?
“Pocono is definitely unique. It helps get drivers ready for the road courses on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule because shifting comes into play. I enjoy Pocono Raceway. It’s a high speed, high paced track. Turn 2 at Pocono is always tough. You’ve got to carry some speed to set-up your entry to Turn 3, but the long straightaways are what matter. So, if you can get off the corners with the long straights you will be running well.”

Explain a bad Turn 3. How much does it cost you going down the front stretch?
“Just think of it like running a mile and losing a shoe. It’s not fun when your car is not turning off that corner, and you are tight and you can’t get back to the gas. Since there is no Turn 4 at Pocono Raceway, Turn 3 is pretty key.”

Daniel Hemric and the No. 8 Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Pocono Raceway … Hemric will be making his first NASCAR Cup Series start at Pocono Raceway during this weekend’s 400-mile event. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native made two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the ‘Tricky Triangle,’ recording an average start of 6.5 and an average finish of 6.0 in those two starts. He also has one top-10 finish in two NASCAR Truck Series starts at Pocono.

About Kalahari Resorts & Conventions … The Pocono Mountains resort’s 220,000-square-foot indoor waterpark features thrilling rides and slides, a wave pool and lazy river, specially designed kids’ play areas and adult swim-up bars. Beyond the waterpark, the resort welcomes race fans with nearly 1,000 guest rooms and suites and dry-play activities like Gorilla Grove, with an aerial treetop ropes course, quad zip lines and a new 36-hole mini golf course. An indoor Family Entertainment Center features the latest and greatest in arcade games, the virtual reality sensation The Arena, escape rooms, laser tag, bowling and more. Guests can take a break for a meal at one of the delicious on-site, full-service signature dining experiences – Double Cut Charcoal Grill, Sortino’s Italian Kitchen and B-Lux Grill and Bar – and relax at the world-class Spa Kalahari and Salon.

Mayfair May Fair … Hemric is scheduled to take part in the Mayfair Grand Prix hosted by the Urban Youth Racing School in the Mayfair area of Philadelphia on Saturday, June 1, starting at 4 p.m. He will be one of the many celebrity guests that will take part in a charity go-kart race that will take place on a street course near Cottman Ave and Frankford Ave in Philadelphia.

Meet the Driver … Fans have multiple opportunities to meet the driver of the No. 8 Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Pocono Raceway. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR merchandise hauler in the fan zone on Saturday, June 1, starting at 10 a.m. ET. He is also scheduled to make an appearance at the Tricky Triangle Club with team owner Richard Childress on Sunday, June 2, starting at 10:45 a.m. ET.

DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
What are your expectations headed to Pocono Raceway for your first Cup Series start at the ‘Tricky Triangle’?
“Pocono Raceway is a place I love to race. It is such a unique and challenging track, but one that puts on a good show for the fans and a fun time for the competitors. I had a couple of solid runs there in the Xfinity Series and hope to continue that this weekend in my Cup debut. My crew chief Luke Lambert has already told me he feels confident in the setup we are bringing to the track, so hopefully we can go out there and make a big splash with this great-looking No. 8 Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Pocono has produced a lot of first-time winners in the past, so our goal is to go there and do our jobs to put ourselves in a position to have a shot at the win at the end of the day.”

What does it mean to have Kalahari Resorts and Conventions on your No. 8 Chevrolet for this weekend with this being their fourth season as a partner of RCR’s?
“Over the past couple of years, my wife and I have been able to enjoy all of the perks that go along with having a partnership with Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. Throughout the Pocono race weekends, we would rush from the track once I was done with my on-track responsibilities to get to Kalahari, enjoy their amazing restaurants, do some shopping and then have fun in America’s largest indoor waterpark. The vibe in the Cup Series garage is always so tense and focused, but it is always great to see the RCR crew guys thrash to finish their work at the track to get to the Kalahari, let loose and run around like a bunch of young kids. We are eager to get back there this weekend to not only go for the win on the track with Kalahari on our No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, but also have a good time and enjoy some team building at the park.”

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Pocono Raceway … Richard Childress Racing has made 12 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Pocono Raceway. The Welcome, North Carolina organization has completed 986 laps of the 1,012 (97.4 percent) that they have competed. RCR has accumulated two top-five and seven top-10 finishes and averages a starting position of 12.5 and finishing position of 12.6.

Charlotte Review … Tyler Reddick and the No. 2 Tame the Beast team captured their second win of the season with their victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend.

The Points …Tyler Reddick remains the current Xfinity Series points leader.

Social Media … To keep up with the latest updates from RCR’s Xfinity Series teams, follow @RCRracing and @RCRNXS on Twitter. Updates can also be found via RCR’s Facebook Page and Instagram (@RCRracing).

Catch the Action … Coverage of this week’s Pocono Green 250 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons at Pocono Raceway will be televised live on Saturday, June 1, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on FOX Sports 1. It will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.

Tyler Reddick and the No. 2 Tame the Beast Chevrolet Camaro at Pocono Raceway … Tyler Reddick has one previous NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Pocono Raceway, starting and finishing ninth during the 2018 event. Last week’s race winner and the current Xfinity Series points leader also has three previous NASCAR Truck Series starts at Pocono, with his best finish of third coming in 2015.

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Meet Reddick … Fans have multiple opportunities to meet Reddick at Pocono Raceway this weekend. The defending series champion and his trophy will take part in a Selfie Session with fans on Friday, May 31 in the Fan Zone beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET. Pre-registration is required. Reddick will also be making an appearance at the RCR merchandise trailer on Saturday, June 1, for an autograph session beginning at 11:45 a.m. ET.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
What can you take away from your Xfinity Series start last year at Pocono Raceway to help you prepare for this year?
“I really can’t take anything from last year since we had that different package we were running at Pocono, so this weekend almost feels like a debut for me. It’s going to be a completely different ball game from last year to this year. We may be shifting again, which is something I’ve always found to be challenging. The straightaway speeds are going to be a lot higher than they were last year, too. Some of the guys in the series who raced at Pocono two years ago will definitely have a one-up on me. However, I have a lot of faith in my No. 2 Tame the Beast team headed into the weekend. We’ve got some good momentum going right now after capturing our second win of the season and continuing our streak of top-five finishes. I know this week and next week will be challenging, but I also thought the same thing going into Charlotte so if we work as hard as we did that weekend we’ll be in a good spot.”

What is the most challenging turn for you at Pocono Raceway?
“I think the toughest one for me is Turn 1. There is just so much time to be gained or lost in that turn just by a split-second of on-throttle time or getting on the brake. A lot happens between the time you lift your foot to hit the brake and rolling through the corner. The guys who are really sharp at Pocono are really good at that turn. Pocono is a place where each turn is different, so you’ve got to find which turn you need to be really good at and what’s most efficient for your car and go from there. More times than not you focus on Turns 1 and 3 since they are part of the longest straightaways.”

Team: No. 6 Wyndham Rewards Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
Pocono 400 – Sunday, June 2 at 2 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Newman at Pocono Raceway

· Newman will make his 35th Cup start at the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway this weekend. In 34 prior events, Newman has 15 top-10s, nine top fives and one win at ‘The Tricky Triangle.’

· Newman’s win at the 2.5-mile track came back in 2003, winning the event from the pole. He also finished runner-up in the spring of 2007 after starting from the pole.

· Newman is coming off an eighth-place finish at Pocono in the July event in 2018 after starting ninth. In the previous five events he’s started 10th or better four times.

· His overall starting position is 11.1 with 19 top-10 starts all-time, 10 of which were inside the top five.

Scott Graves at Pocono Raceway

· Graves will be atop the pit box for his seventh MENCS race at Pocono this weekend. In six prior events – two with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and four with Daniel Suarez – Graves has two top-10s and one top five.

· Graves most recently finished runner-up with Suarez at the 2.5-mile triangle in last season’s July event after starting from the pole. He also finished seventh with the former Joe Gibbs Racing driver in the 2017 July race.

· Graves also called one Xfinity Series event at ‘The Tricky Triangle’ with Suarez in 2016, finishing ninth after starting third.

QUOTE WORTHY

Newman on racing at Pocono:

“Pocono is an interesting but challenging track that can be fun if you get the setup just right. Carrying speed down the long straightaways is very important, but also the three turns are so unique and require a different approach to each in the handling. Pocono has always been a driver’s track and that’s why I’m a fan of the racing there, so we’re looking forward to the weekend in our Wyndham Rewards Ford Mustang.

Recapping the Coca-Cola 600
Newman restarted second for a shootout in the closing laps of last Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, but eventually fell to 16th after a two-tire strategy call.

Team:                          No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief:                 Brian Pattie
Twitter:                       @Stenhouse17Team, @stenhousejr, and @roushfenway

ADVANCE NOTES

Stenhouse at Pocono Raceway

Stenhouse has 12 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) starts at Pocono Raceway with an average starting position of 21.5 and average finishing position of 22.7.

In his first career start at the ‘Tricky Triangle’, Stenhouse Jr. won the ARCA race in 2008.

Last time at Pocono
When the caution flag waved with six laps remaining, Stenhouse was scored in the 17th position. On the next restart the two-time Xfinity Series champion spun due to a brake issue, sending the race into overtime. Luckily there was no damage to the No. 17 Ford, allowing Stenhouse to line up in the 22nd position for the final green white checkered where he was able to hold on to taking the checkered flag.

Recapping Last Weekend
Stenhouse Jr. used a fast Fastenal Ford Mustang to overcome early adversity to earn a strong fifth-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway, his first top-five finish at a 1.5-mile track.

In the Points
Stenhouse currently sits 19th in the point standings, just eight points shy of the 16th place cut-off for playoff advancement.

On the Car
Fastenal is currently in its eighth season as a primary partner in the MENCS for Roush Fenway. They spent three years on the No. 99 before jumping over to the No. 17 entry, and were the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity team that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

Stenhouse Jr. on racing at Pocono:
“We have struggled at Pocono in the past. Pocono is unique because all three turns are very different. Last time, we had an issue with our brakes so we have taken the steps necessary to hopefully fix that issue. With the new package, it should be interesting as the draft will be important on the straightaways. We had a solid run at Charlotte so we are looking to carry that momentum into Pocono this weekend.”